Letter to our Baby Girl – Week 25

  • July 26, 2010 2:34 PM

24 weeks in Drežnica, Slovenia

Hi Baby! We’re now in the 25th week of pregnancy and all is well. We had another appointment at the doctor this morning, and she said you look great. You have been kicking up a storm, earning you a new nickname of Kickypants. I now notice your kicks throughout the day – strong enough that your daddy can clearly feel them too.

We just got back from our last trip that I’m allowed by plane which your daddy and I are calling our Babymoon. On it, we chatted a lot about what we want to teach and share with you – nature, books, silly songs, a love to explore the world around you… Learning about different places and cultures is something he and I share, and already, you have been quite the traveler – to Ireland, Taiwan, Japan, the US, Italy, Spain, and Slovenia.

Your birth will be in Belgium, where we currently live, but you will be a Swedish-American. With dual citizenship, you’ll be able to travel and live freely in both the US and Europe when you’re older. Your daddy is Swedish, and though he hasn’t lived there for a really long time, we hope to teach you about the culture and customs from there along with the US, and what we’ve picked up living overseas.

Your due date is in 15 weeks, and we’ve been making our final travel plans. I’m staying around here, but your grandparents (my parents) are visiting in August to do a little touring, and then your uncle (my brother) will be here in September. Your daddy has a work trip in Portugal for a couple days, and will also be heading to the US another time or two. At the doctor today, we confirmed the earliest and latest dates for you to arrive, so he can make sure to not miss it.  It feels like we’re getting closer, and we can’t wait to meet you.

Love and kisses,
Mama

Advice on Cloth Diapering & Bedside Cribs?

  • July 16, 2010 12:28 PM

It’s shopping month for me, as sales are only allowed in Belgium in January and July, and an upcoming trip to the US (for Thomas) means I need to put in my online orders. Besides, Thomas and I just signed up for the Cambio car sharing program so we can finally drive to the baby super store. (Thanks for taking me earlier, Marisa! It was really helpful to test drive strollers.)

So, I’ve been researching all this baby gear, but I would love some advice from real parents who cloth diapering and use bedside cribs. Here’s my questions:

Cloth Diapering:

  • What brand do you use?
  • Did you start using them as soon as your baby was born?
  • If in Europe, what detergent do you use?
  • Did you make your own wipes? Out of what?
  • What did you use for your wipe solution? Just water or something else?
  • How many diapers do you suggest getting?
  • If I have a European combo washer/dryer that takes a couple hours to wash/dry a load, am I nuts for wanting to do this? Note: Otherwise, I walk to the grocery store and only buy what I can carry (groceries + baby + disposable diapers included).

I’m currently thinking about Bum Genius diapers with the snaps. I like that they use the inserts and will fit the baby for the entire diapering time. I’ve seen them in a Belgium shop, but they’re much more expensive here than in the US. I’ve been keeping an eye for them on US Ebay, but many have the velcro which seems to get worn quickly.

Bedside Cribs:

  • What kind did you use?
  • How long was your baby in it?
  • How did you keep it attached to your bed?
  • Was it important to have the crib on wheels?
  • Where does your baby sleep during naps when you’re not also sleeping?
  • Did you use a bumper?
  • Afterward, did your baby sleep in a crib or a floor bed?

I’m not sure what we’re currently leaning toward for this one yet. We’ve considered just getting a moses basket or possibly a small crib/bassinet, but they would be more separate from our bed, and it sounds like the baby would grow out of that so fast. We’ve also looked at getting a bigger crib with a removable side, like the Ikea Gulliver and strapping it to our bed. This would last the baby much longer, but we have limited space while the baby is in our room.

Part of me feels silly for asking these questions because in the big scheme of things, whatever we end up doing will probably be just fine. But they’re things that match our values, and if we can find a way to make them work by learning how others have done it, then it’s great to have a little experienced advice. Thanks!

The Tour de France in Brussels

  • July 8, 2010 11:04 AM

It’s been a sports-filled Summer in Belgium this year. It’s hard to ignore the World Cup everywhere, and this last weekend, the Tour de France passed through Brussels. On Sunday, Thomas and I went down to the Atomium to watch the racers near the finish line after riding in from Rotterdam in The Netherlands. We got there late and the crowds were big, but it was still a rush of energy when the racers passed by.

The Atomium

Spectators

Nearing the Finish Line

On Monday, the racers left Brussels at the Royal Palace and headed up to Spa. I gave myself plenty of time and had a great spot at the Montgomery round about, but they’re so fast. They pass in just about 20 seconds. Still, I enjoyed watching the crowds, the teams’ cars, and the motorcycle photographers, and I even spotted Lance Armstrong! Afterward, I headed downtown to see the Mannekin Pis in his racing day costume – the first time I’ve ever seen him dressed up.

Photographer on Motorcycle

Racing around Montgomery round about

Mannekin Pis in this Racing Day Costume

If you’d like to see more photos from the race, I’ve posted them on PicasaWeb:

Baguette’s First Video

  • July 7, 2010 10:02 AM

I just realized I never posted this on my blog (just Facebook). Thomas and I made a little video (7 minutes) of the morning we found out Baguette’s sex. The audio is a little quiet and the editing isn’t my best, but the video makes me smile every time I watch it.  Enjoy!